Steel World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 1

In the twentieth century Earth sent probes, transmissions and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy.

Swarm: Star Force, Book 1

Kyle Riggs is snatched by an alien spacecraft sometime after midnight. The ship is testing everyone it catches and murdering the weak. The good news is that Kyle keeps passing tests and staying alive. The bad news is the aliens who sent this ship are the nicest ones out there.

Rebel Fleet

They hunt us. They bomb our worlds for target practice. A star cluster in the constellation of Orion rotates once every thousand years. Those who rule there have an ancient tradition: When each cycle ends, they train their fleets by spilling the blood of lesser beings. The enemy fleets are coming again. In response, the Rebel Worlds gather their starships to face the terrifying threat, and this time humanity is asked to stand with them.

Battle Cruiser: Lost Colonies, Book 1

One starship will either save Earth or destroy her. A century ago our star erupted, destroying Earth's wormhole network and closing off trade with her colonized planets. After being out of contact with the younger worlds for so many years, Humanity is shocked when a huge ship appears at the edge of the solar system. Our outdated navy investigates, both curious and fearful. What they learn from the massive vessel shocks the planet.

New Frontiers: The Expansion Wars Trilogy, Book 1

The Phage War had been a devastating conflict for the Terran Confederacy. Even with the destruction of their terrifying, implacable foe, humanity is still reeling. Political alliances are crumbling, and their mighty fleet is in tatters. There is nothing to celebrate, even after such a complete victory. They soon learn that there are other stellar neighbors - and they've been watching the conflict with great interest. One species comes with an offer of friendship and alliance, but humanity is weary and distrustful.

Columbus Day: Expeditionary Force, Book 1

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the Native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon came ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There went the good old days, when humans got killed only by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved.

Starship Liberator: Galactic Liberation, Book 1

The Hundred Worlds have withstood invasion by the relentless Hok for decades. The human worlds are strong, but the Hok have the resources of a thousand planets behind them, and their fleets attack in endless waves. The long war has transformed the Hundred Worlds into heavily fortified star systems. Their economies are geared for military output, and they raise specialized soldiers to save our species. Assault Captain Derek Straker is one such man among many.

Exiled Fleet: Publisher's Pack (Books 1-2)

Book 1: Albion Lost: For centuries, the Daegon waited. They plotted. And now they are ready to strike. The core worlds of settled space enjoy a tenuous peace, unaware and ill prepared for the threat building beyond the furthest reaches of humanity. The star kingdom of Albion stands as a shining light of justice and mercy in a harsh galaxy, and they will be the first to suffer the Daegon's fury. Book 2: The Long March: Commodore Thomas Gage and his fleet, safeguarding the last of the Albion Royal Family, are on the run.

The Lost Starship

Ten thousand years ago, a single alien super-ship survived a desperate battle. The vessel's dying crew set the AI on automatic to defend the smashed rubble of their planet. Legend has it the faithful ship continues to patrol the empty battlefield, obeying its last order throughout the lonely centuries.In the here and now, Earth needs a miracle. Out of the Beyond invade the New Men, stronger, faster and smarter than the old. Their superior warships and advanced technology destroy every fleet sent to stop them.

Ark Royal

Seventy years ago, the interstellar supercarrier Ark Royal was the pride of the Royal Navy. But now, her weapons are outdated and her solid-state armour nothing more than a burden on her colossal hull. She floats in permanent orbit near Earth, a dumping ground for the officers and crew the Royal Navy wishes to keep out of the public eye. But when a deadly alien threat appears, the modern starships built by humanity are no match for the powerful alien weapons.

The Empire's Corps

The Galactic Empire is dying and chaos and anarchy are breaking out everywhere. After a disastrous mission against terrorists on Earth itself, Captain Edward Stalker of the Terran Marine Corps makes the mistake of speaking truth to power, telling one of the most powerful men in the Empire a few home truths. As a result, Captain Stalker and his men are unceremoniously exiled to Avalon, a world right on the Rim of the Empire. It should have been an easy posting...

Iron Dragoons: Terran Armor Corps, Book 1

Soldiers of the Terran Armor Corps wage war across the stars. Wired into mechanized battle suits, they fight the terrifying battles which must be won, no matter the cost. Their deeds are legend, their reputation feared by the enemies of Earth and her allies, but how the Corps forges young men and women into mighty warriors is shrouded by mystery. Roland Shaw lost his parents to war, he volunteers for the Armor Corps to honor their memory and discover just how far he can push himself.

A.I. Destroyer: The A.I. Series, Book 1

It came from deep space. It sent the signal. Now our computers are killing us, helping the enemy drive us into extinction. But some of us refuse to die. We fight back. We learn. Jon Hawkins revives from cryogenic sleep in a drifting SLN battleship. The crew is dead and the main computer has been destroyed. Jon is a soldier, the start of the resistance, the one man with the will to beat the alien death machines that have terminated 1000 races. This is our hour as we face the ultimate evil, the galactic destroyer of life.

Renegade: Spiral Wars, Book 1

One thousand years after Earth was destroyed in an unprovoked attack, humanity has emerged victorious from a series of terrible wars to assure its place in the galaxy. But during celebrations on humanity’s new Homeworld, the legendary Captain Pantillo of the battle carrier Phoenix is court-martialed then killed, and his deputy, Lieutenant Commander Erik Debogande, the heir to humanity’s most powerful industrial family, is framed with his murder.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

The Ember War: Publisher's Pack, Books 1-2

The Ember War, book 1: The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance. In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission: to determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada. The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.

Warship: Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 1

In the 25th century, humans have conquered space. The advent of faster-than-light travel has opened up hundreds of habitable planets for colonization, and humans have exploited the virtually limitless space and resources for hundreds of years with impunity. So complacent have they become with the overabundance that armed conflict is a thing of the past, and their machines of war are obsolete and decrepit. What would happen if they were suddenly threatened by a terrifying new enemy?

Supercarrier: The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy, Book 1

Captain Keyes is loved by the public but hated by Command. He captains the UHS
Providence, an aging supercarrier and the last human ship not dependent on dark tech - technology humanity has used to rule over the galaxy since barely defeating the Ixa in the First Galactic War.

Publisher's Summary

Unknown aliens attack Earth. Their planet is uncharted, mysteriously having avoided detection for centuries. It's a world packed with the most vicious aliens humanity has yet to encounter. James McGill has discovered: Death World.

In the fifth book of the Undying Mercenaries series, the war comes home, and aliens strike a devastating blow. Bent on revenge, Legion Varus chases the raiders to the stars and discovers a growing alien menace. A cancerous species has invaded our region of the galaxy and must be dealt with. McGill learns why the Cephalopod Kingdom has yet to attack Earth and what's happening behind the scenes in the Core Worlds. Throughout, he upholds his unique sense of right, wrong, and honor. Death World is a military science fiction novel by best-selling author B. V. Larson.

Now I've finished the fifth and currently last available part of B V Larson's Undying Mercenaries series I am hungry for more. I was lucky to have stumbled upon this series when it stood at five books and so could gorge myself on them all one right after the other. In order to satisfy my appetite for B V Larson work and looking for a big series to tide me over until part six of this series becomes available I've switched to the Star Force series and am reading the first book in that established saga. Prior to finding the Undying Mercenaries series I had not read anything by Larson but have now come to regard him as one of my favourite science fiction writers. based on the release schedules on his website I'm hoping that this prolific author will soon be delivering what I suspect might be called Throne World upon all those like me eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this excellent series.

So, Death World sees our established group of characters once more in all kinds of trouble with a new alien threat and one that promises to have the potential to be more aggressive than even the Cephalopod Kingdom. Larson once more comes up with a novel and imaginative collection of nasties to do battle with as legion Varus gets into difficulties with the new threat.

Unlike the previous three books, Death World takes a little longer to get going while family matters are dealt with. However, once the main plot kicks in the action is fast paced and holds the readers interest with Larson's usual aplomb. I enjoy the way Larson depicts an alien world with plenty of thought and detail that truly makes the planet an exotic and dangerous environment that fires one's imagination.

James McGill as ever finds himself in the thick of things and bending the rules as he goes along. The fighting is hard and brutal and methods to achieve goals within the legion are often harsh too. Fortifying the military aspect of this story as with others in the series is the background political machinations of some key officers and other nefarious characters that all add to a immersive mix with some clever character developments as loyalties and ambition collide with the need to do the right thing.

I hope that Larson creates a series of stories in the Undying Mercenaries novels that becomes as extensive as Larson's Star Force books. There is plenty of potential in the series to make for real space opera. I cannot say that I have read a series that has been so entertaining, enthralling and consistently good.

As usual with my take on reviews, I need to point out a couple of errors in the story. Near the start of the book Dust World is referred to as Gamma Pavonis which is incorrect. Gamma Pavonis was Machine World. later, Centurion Graves is once referred to as Captain Graves. Again, very minor things but just something I had to mention and in no way is a detractor from the excellence of the story.

Mark Boyett's narration is superb and has been consistently so throughout the series. he is able to clearly and distinctly render different characters which greatly enhance the story-telling.

Death World is another great read from Larson which has left me wanting more and fast!!

After a devastating attack on Earth newly appointed Veteran James McGill and Legion Varus chase after the culprits responsible. It leads them to an uncharted planet located in Earth’s part of the galaxy that is infested with a previously unknown hostile alien species that even the Cephalopods are afraid of; but this new species is nothing that some weed killer couldn’t put down, as they are plants. This book is called “Death World,” and the reason for the name is explained in the content of the story but for those following “The Undying Mercenaries,” we know that death is a common occurrence for James McGill and Legion Varus and even a “Perm” death seems most unlikely following the plot. Title aside what makes this story, and all of “The Undying Mercenaries” books, interesting are the behind the scenes scheming and James McGill steadfast determination to do the right thing which usually disrupts those schemes and saves the day. There are several twists and turns along the story line and a really liked the last chapter setting up the next book in the series.The narrator, Mark Boyett, did another fantastic job.

17 of 17 people found this review helpful

Jason

United States

20/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"The series keeps improving"

The first two books of this series were semi-painful because of McGill's righteous attitude. Now the story has progressed and operates more in a gray area, it is a sign of great character development that I wasn't expecting.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

KCK

Charlotte, NC, United States

13/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Best of the series so far."

It has been an extreme pleasure to listen to James McGill grow up with the Undying Mercenaries. This series has captured my imagination unlike any before it in the sci-fi realm. Maybe it's because the author writes like I would write and he anticipates plot twists like I would as well. In Death World the whole gang is back and better than ever. We even get to know McGill's parents a little bit. This is probably the most complete novel of the series in my opinion. After Tech World I was almost ready to declare this series had run its course. I thought maybe the author should wrap this up because in Tech World I felt like the aliens were secondary to the story with Claver. But now with death world Claver is front and center of the story wouldn't be the same without him. I love how the story ended as well. Finally James got some recognition. And they were plenty of teases about the new adventures coming in the next book Throne World. I can't wait.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

wayne

seattle, WA, United States

09/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Holy cow!"

B V Larson has upped the anni with this one. bringing this series in line with his best work of the swarm series. Early in this series I thought it was just some filler material in his career but now I'm loving it. I'm just going to say that the combination of this writer and narator is as good as it gets. can't wait for more.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Carl B.

25/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"The series peaks in Death World"

I took a break from this series after book 3. It was exciting and very but just a little over the top. Death World really nailed all aspects... Very strong as a character driven story - especially McGill as the focus - but so too are all the key characters who are fully fleshed out. Their actions comprehensible even if strange or unintuitive. The story stretches the imagination without stretching the credibility of the characters.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Robert G.

New Mexico

09/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"For a fun vivid yarn you actually care about."

This is a terrific fun combo for adventure. Roman military features, good tech, A dystopian universe of multi species politics. And a group of corrupt power grasping misanthropes and one clever but not calculating Southern rogue.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Robert

Yokosuka Japan

08/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Another Home Run"

I can't help but admire the well developed character in this series of books by the author B.V. Larson. This installment was as attention getting and thrilling as every one before it. I may be a sucker for the underdogs in these battles, but I'm human and live the idea that we can and do win in the end. Great book and series not to mention a great performance by Mr Boyett.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Trudy Owens

Orem, UT, US

08/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Same ol' McGill, killing aliens and cheating death"

You gotta love him, our boy James. He still has his wits and his humor. But now with a kid and a baby-mama, his thoughts do turn introspective and a little deep. His parents get a chance to be shown in greater depth, and we can see a bit of where McGill comes from.

Another great book in the series. You might think that with all the dying and reviving, life and death would not mean much and you would get tired of the concept. But it doesn't; there are believable attitudes towards it all. There are tons of twists and complications, and officers scrapping to get or remain on top, while the mostly honorable grunts below do the heavy work and the dying. There's humor and pathos and contemplation.

This time the aliens are hive-minded plants, and they are very, very clever. Larson's science is well thought-out; his personalities are realistic and well-rounded. This is great stuff on many levels. Mark Boyett's narration is wonderful. I love the voices he gives the characters.

If you love space and aliens and soldiers, and outwitting aliens, slippery, conniving bad guys who sometimes do good, and working your way around rules and orders, then you must meet Larson. If you have started this series, then keep on going. I can't wait for the next one.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Sydney

Boston, MA

06/09/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Doesn't do much"

I don't feel like the story went anywhere with this. We learn a bit more, there are more instances of being clever without meaning to but overall not all that great.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Doug D. Eigsti

Kansas City, MO United States

07/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Poor Impulse Control"

McGill, Turov, Claver, Natasha, Carlos, Graves, Keevee, Della—reckless, narcissistic, conniving, sneaky, irritating, steadfast, petulant, and feral by turns—they are all back in Death World. Larson has created a cast of great characters, all closely intertwined with our hero James Mcgill, and this allows him to put those people in interesting situations. This is the strong suit of the series, his people are great and the conflicts in which he inserts them become interesting because they themselves are interesting. McGill’s misadventures are driven by his lack of personal restraint and personal sense of honor. McGill is a wonderful character with a fascinating approach to life, navigating through every circumstance as a loose cannon, willing to live with the consequences of his decisions, and repeatedly being vindicated for his insubordinate acts. In one hilarious scene, one of his superiors asks him for advice in how to get away with disobeying a direct order. This is great entertainment. Don’t miss it. I certainly won’t miss the next installment of the misadventures of James McGill.

Mark Boyett is amazing here and his portrayal of female voices with his deep male vocal cords is always convincing.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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